Two Day Workshop Sexual Trauma in Adolescence and Emerging Adulthood

The adolescent’s journey is from embeddedness within a family system and an introjected sense of self towards ownership of her life and appreciation of her unique place in the world. This culminates in a sense of personal agency and an essential security in who she is.

What happens when sexual trauma interferes with this process?

This workshop will explore the major developmental themes of adolescence and emerging adulthood through a relational lense. Participants will come to understand the connection between sexual trauma and the correlating shame dynamics which may shape the adolescent’s interpersonal and intrapsychic experience. A model for understanding and intervening with traumatised adolescents will be presented and will address the developmental, clinical and ethical issues involved.

Presenter: Bronagh Starrs, BA, Dip. Psychotherapy, is Director of Blackfort Adolescent Gestalt Institute and principal faculty on the post-graduate Diploma in Adolescent Psychotherapy which has been offered in Ireland since 2012. Bronagh is an adolescent developmental specialist working in Northern Ireland with children, adolescents and their families. She also teaches and presents internationally and has authored many articles and chapters on the subject.